Note: This review dates from the production's 1999 UK tour. For current show details,

The challenge faced when adapting a book to stage is an incredibly stiff one: what works well on the page does not necessarily make for a riveting evening of theatre. Tackling JRR Tolkien's /.html">click hereThe Hobbit, a work of majestic proportions that has fired the imaginations of generations since its release in 1937, is not for the faint-hearted. There is a very real danger, working with such a literary favourite, of completely blowing the job or, at the very least, treading on the pictures readers have fixed in their minds.

Thankfully, adapter Glyn Robbins and director Roy Marsden deliver an affectionate piece of work that bears the above in mind and does a rather nice job of manifesting the book's fantasy world through the journey from Bag End to Erebor.

With Ali Bongo involved as consultant, Gandalf (Andy Williams) was never going to be less than a magical sorcerer and, with his accompanying pyrotechnics, Williams gives a spell-binding (pun very much intended but true nevertheless) performance. Michael Geary is also just what you expect of a Bilbo Baggins - short, hairy, oddly charming and possessing a perfect balance of incredible luck and gross incompetence. The supporting cast of eleven is small considering the amount of elves, goblins and dwarves involved in the story, and as a result, a lot is asked of and delivered by everyone involved.

The travels are made on Simon Ash's two level set that slides in and out, utilises flying and, in combination with Ian Locke's lighting, still requires the audience to use their imagination to fully conjure up the assorted parts of Middle Earth. This is a positive point - the audience have to do their bit and Ash obviously knows that, without a budget exceeding Cameron Mackintosh's bank account, you couldn't physically recreate Tolkien's world.

Mark Bloxsidge's sound and musical compositions help this imaginative process and combine with Stephanie Carter's choreography to create the show's most memorable moment - a Flatley-esque line dancing sequence that gets everyone clapping, stamping and whooping along. The final fight scene is also a well executed affair. On the downside is a rather friendly looking Smaug the dragon, who fails to evoke the required fear, and a similarly ineffectual spider.

The story's mix of light and dark remains, as does Tolkien's epic dialogue. My two young companions for the evening (aged 7 and 9, although the producers warn that under 10s may find Middle Earth too scary) remained captivated throughout, thoroughly enjoyed themselves and, although this The Hobbit may not quite be the stuff legends are made of, they recommend it highly.

- Dave Windass